Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Alabama
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

1. Identify focal species for planning conservation actions within each ecoregion. Focal species should represent the species most sensitive to resource and process limitations in the southeastern region (Lambeck 1999) and should represent a broad array of taxa. 2. Assess the state of populations of focal species based on the best available information. This may include survey data (e.g. Breeding Bird Surveys, mid-winter waterfowl surveys, North American Amphibian Monitoring Program) or expert opinion. 3. Determine population objectives and habitat objectives for focal species that will ensure their persistence. 4. Identify and quantify the effects of management and policy alternatives for the conservation of focal species. 5. Develop habitat relationship models for focal species that will be suitable for predicting population responses to climate change and conservation actions. 6. Determine optimal conservation strategies based on the identified management and policy alternatives that are most likely to sustain populations of focal species. 7. Identify key elements for monitoring that will reduce uncertainty regarding the effect of climate change on terrestrial and aquatic populations and their habitats and measure progress towards population and habitat objectives.